Game apparatus.



B.'G. WARD.

GAME APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 24. 1915.

1,167,452. Patented JalLll, 1916.

1 15.11. GT5: 5. EE* E (7 b 5 2 60060 so 500100 J a0 IBERTB-AND G.

WARD, OF JERSEY CITY, NEW JERSEY.

GAME APPARATUS.

Application filed May 24, 1915.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, Bnnrnano G. WARD, acitizenof the United States, residing at Jersey City, in the county ofHudson and State of New Jersey, have invented ertain new and usefulImprovements in Game Apparatus; and I do declare the following to be afull, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enableothers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use thesame.

This invention relates to improvements in games and more particularly toapparatus of this character.

The object of the invention is to provide a simple game which requiresconsiderable skill and patience to be successfully played and which isadapted to be played by any number of players.

Another object is to provide a board and game pieces constructed tocooperate to accomplish the object sought to be obtained, the boardbeing provided with openings or seats the size of which may be varied torender the playing of the game easy or very difficult, as desired.

Another object is to provide an improved form of game piece for use inplaying this game.

lVith these and other objects in view, the invention consists of certainnovel features of construction and the combination and arrangement ofparts hereinafter fully described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawing: Figure 1 represents a plan view of a gameboard con structed in accordance with this invention, showing aplurality of game pieces mounted thereon ready for use; Fig. 2 is atransverse section thereof taken on the line 2 Q .41 Ol 1; Fig. 3 is anenlarged detail perspective view of one of the playing or game pieces;Fig. is a section through one of the seats in the board showing one ofthe game pieces in side elevation therein; Fig. is a transverse verticalsection of one of the game pieces; Fig. 6 is a side elevation of theboard.

In the embodiment illustrated a board 1 is shown which may be of anysuitable or desired configuration and composed of any suitable ordesired material, being here shown constructed of wood and rectangularin form having an upstanding flange 2 around the edge thereof, theflange at the sides thereof being preferably made higher Specificationof Letters Patent.

Patented J an. ill, 1916.

Serial No. 3037?.

at the rear portion of the board than at the front thereof as is commonin boards of this character, the end flange which connects the highportion of the side flanges, being also higher than the front flange.This board 1 is shown provided with a plurality of seats 3, any desirednumber of which may be employed and which may be arranged in any desiredposition, ten of said seats being here shown arranged in the form of anisosceles triangle with the vertex thereof extending toward the front ofthe board. These seats 3 are here shown in the form of circularapertures extending entirely through the board 1 but this need notnecessarily be so providing that they are of sufficient depth to receiveand retain the game pieces hereinafter described. Arranged adjacent eachof the seats 3 is a number a which may be or may not be used inconnection with the playing of the game, according to the wishes of theplayers, as the game may be played for points without using the numbers.

The players or game pieces are designed to be used in playing this game,any desired number of which may be employed, four being here shown, andeach of which is constructed in the form of a substantially cylindricalblock having a reduced cylindrical extension 6 at one end of a lengthcorresponding to the depth of the seat 3 in which it is to be mounted,said extension having a flat surface engaging face 7 which 0 is designedto slip over the surface of the board 1 during the playing of the game,said board being preferably waxed or polished to reduce the friction toa minimum. This block 5 is provided at its juncture of its reducedextension 6 with the body portion thereof, with an annular shoulder 8which projects laterally and is designed to rest on the upper face ofthe board 1 when the block is disposed in one of the seats 3 as is shownclearly in Fig. to prevent all possibility of the block passing throughsaid seat, which is shown slightly greater in diameter than theextension 6 to facilitate the seating of the block in one of the seats 3during the playing of the game. llhis block 5 is provided intermediatelyof its ends with an annular groove 9 which is designed to receive acushion member 10 here shown in the form of an annular rubber ringmounted in said groove, which is designed to receive the impact when apiece is pro jected against one of the side flanges of the board oragainst another piece during the playing of the game and which causesthe piece to rebound when contacting with another object. Thiscushioning ring is preferably round in cross section and is sprung intothe annular groove 9, said groove being so shallow as to cause the ringto project beyond the surface of the piece, as is shown clearly in Fig.4;.

The upper portion of the game pieces may be shaped in any desiredmanner, being here shown rounded on the corners and provided with anornamental central disk-like element 11 which is not at all necessary,and may be dispensed with if desired.

In the playing of the game, the game pieces 5 are disposed on the board1 with their flat faces 7 in engagement with the board and arepreferably arranged in alinement with the front end of the board as isshown in Fig. .1. in playing the game, the player takes one of thepieces 5, which may be colored differently or otherwise marked todistinguish them, and with a forward movement projects the piece towardthe openings at the rear end of the board, the object being if possible,to project said piece into one of said seats or openings 3, and in sodoing, the player accomplishing this feature is entitled to the amountdesignated in front of the seat in which the piece has been projected.If he is not successful in projecting the piece in one of the seats onthe first play, he may be more fortunate on the second, as each playeris entitled to play with an equal number of playing pieces, according tothe number of openings or seats 3 formed in the board.

If a player at any time while playing on the second or third play causesto be moved into one of the seats any previous piece played, he isentitled to Whatever amount is designated in front of the seat intowhich said piece is projected.

, Each player is entitled to receive as his score the amount of all thenumbers designating the seats into which his playing pieces 5 have beenprojected. Each players piece 5, in order to count, must rest and fitperfectly into its seat, as otherwise it will be counted a miss. Theplayer first scoring the amount agreed upon wins the game.

The size of the openings or seats 3 may be varied and the sizes of thepieces 5 corresponding with them to render the playing of the game moredi'llicult, as may be desired.

The playing pieces 5 may be composed of any suitable material, eitherwood or metal.

From the above description, it will be obvious that an apparatusconstructed as described will amuse both old and young, and that anydesired number of players may engage therein, the rules for the gamebeing decided upon before the game is started.

I claim as my invention:

A game apparatus comprising a board having a plurality of seats formedtherein, and game pieces for projection into said seats, each of saidgame pieces being in the form of a cylindrical block having a l8- ducedextension at one end with a shoulder formed at the base of saidextension, said extension being of a diameter slightly less than theseats of said board, and of a length corresponding to the depth of saidseats.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

BERTRAND G. WARD.

Witnesses:

HARRY R. VVARD, T. BURTON CoYLn.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of ?atents,

' Washington, I). 0.

